Advaita philosophy believes in the existence of one supreme
reality termed as Atman or Brahman or Ishwara (in a different form or for a
different level of understanding.)
The emphasis is on ‘Self Realization’ as ultimately God is
not external to be reached through gaining knowledge but God is knowledge
itself referred to with the words ‘Sat, Chit, Ananda’. These are explained as
the ‘timeless unending being or existence of true reality, pure objectless awareness
or consciousness, bliss or joyousness’; words viewed not so much as properties
to describe Atman but the very nature of Atman or Brahman. To attain this pure
knowledge, this realization that is the ‘Atman’ means to realize the true
nature of the ‘Self’ that is all pervading (including within each of us),
devoid of any attributes, infinite, eternal, unchanging and formless.
This Self of humanity and the universe that is the ultimate
singular reality is also described as ‘Purusha’ (‘that One/the person’). It is
said in the scriptures that a small part of this consciousness (proportionately
quite small as less as about one quarter) manifests itself to form the substratum
of the universe. This substratum is Brahman appearing in physical form as the
entire universe with all physical matter in it. The rest which remains
undiminished and unchanged (just as in Biology one cell divides into multiple
cells without altering the parent cell) is ‘ParaBrahman’. In reality Brahman
and Parabhrahman are one and the same. Thus everything in the universe is
viewed as the pure joy of Purusha which is flowing out and crystallizing.
satyam jnanam anantam brahman
"Brahman is the nature of truth or the true reality, knowledge as the
subject and object and infinity"
It is tempting to wonder
how to get a glimpse of this God ourselves if it is internal and the subject
rather than the object? Instead of taking the word of these sages, if one wishes
to experience it for oneself then the scriptures and the seers prescribe the
path of meditation rather than any conventional scientific experiments. However when will I know that this is God?
I
concluded that just like when you learn driving or swimming or cycling, you
don’t learn it until the moment when you have learnt it. You follow all the
techniques as prescribed, gear stick or hand strokes or balancing the handle.
But suddenly the same techniques work after practice, practice, practice and he
presto you are there! No one can take it away from you then thereafter. Is it
the same with God, you put all your belief in the prescribed formulae of
learning the scriptures and taking in the knowledge imparted by Gurus in full
faith, you worship and meditate as a true devotee in temples and sacred spaces
with an honest heart and you keep up your selfless action in the service of God
and others (jnana, bhakti, karma). Then one day you just get there or maybe you
even gradually climb steps and see the light more and more and more like
happens in one’s work no matter what it is, it’s just a matter of perseverance,
patience and practice and then humans suddenly get the way that things work. Hmmm.. we have all experienced this sudden realization or ‘eureka’ moment whilst
persevering in something at work haven’t we?
God it seems is also about a
realization or a change in one’s vision. It is said that those who are self realized
in this way never boast about it because that same self realization takes away
their ego too. It doesn't alter anything physically in one’s life but it gives
a vision and knowledge of a bigger picture which then helps to make everything
else in life all right.
